Europe Bans Vegan Superfoods

Food and Drink Industry News from the Food & Drink Innovation Network.

In what sounds like another Phamaceutical Industry sponsored attack on common sense, big pharma's lap dog, the European Parliament has now banned superfoods.

Blueberries, hemp seeds and spinach, which have all been described as 'superfoods' in the past, will not be able to advertise their health benefits unless these can be proven.

Even if we can prove that certain foods have nutrients proven to have beneficial effects it appears greengrocers and farmers will have to prove that their particular vegetable or seed can positively impact on an a particular ailment or disease.

This would cost farmers millions of pounds to do this so in effect , just like the ridiculous practical application of legislation on vitamins and minerals in effect all it will do is stifle debate and education about preventable medicine and natural cures.

Once again we have thrown to the mercy of the pharmaceutical giants who have no interest in a healthy population because there is no profit in it.

We don't need protection from the side effects of fruit and vegetables!! The side effect of a vegetarian / vegan diet is better health (see Oxford EPIC study).

What we need is protection against the side effects of drugs tested on animals rather than humans (read the packet!!) Quite often the side effects are the very symptoms you are trying to avoid.

Stop lining the animal torturing people poisoning drug companies shareholders' pockets - EAT SUPERFOODS ! be as healthy as you can be, avoid illness, break free of this opression.

Top Superfoods include Algae - Hemp - Seaweed - Chlorella - Berries - Quinoa - Watercress - Curly Kale

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Comments

Editor said…
While agreeing that this is absurd in many ways, it is the natural health products / foods industry that only has itself to blame. Through the actions of too many natural products companies, they have made it all too easy for big pharma to get the ear of the regulators. It is not just the fringe 'snake oil salesman' that are the problem, but significant, and more prominent companies in more mainstream natural health areas that are equally at fault.

In the area that I know about (disclosure: I am associated with a company selling New Zealand's manuka honey products), I know of at least half a dozen, supposedly reputable (but are proving themselves the opposite) companies that are appallingly, blatantly, and deliberately mis-promoting this product. They are equally as bad as big pharma in putting short term proft ahead of consumers interests.

The passing off of inferior products as having the same benefits of those batches of products that have had proper research done on them is rife.

Apart from things such as the manuka honey, this would also include foods such as blueberries that you mention. Blueberries grown in poor conditions on marginal, nutrient poor soil, are not going to have the same levels of health benefits as blueberries grown in a much better environment, and should not be able to mislead consumers by claiming so.

Until there is some successful prosecutions of these offenders, in a high profile way, then maybe the EU regulators have actually done the right thing.